I may not be great at regularly updating this blog (so far), but  the fall semester is underway and going well. I'm not teaching a course this semester, but the other day I received this letter (left) from the office of faculty development at NC State. Something like this is always welcome, of course, but it just seemed to arrive at the perfect time for me. I was tired and stressed and this gave me the boost I needed to keep going.

Most importantly, it reminded me of the reason I initially wanted to come back to school and work on my Ph.D. Yes, I wanted to hone my research skills and start contributing research to the academic community and society at large. But, the main reason I felt driven to do this was for my students--present and future. You see, I taught at Guilford Technical Community College for a year after I finished my MA at Virginia Tech. The students there were amazing and inspired me every day with their life experiences, struggles, hard work, and dedication. The bond I created with so many of the students at GTCC was very meaningful. Essentially, these students pushed me to further my education--to gain the skills and experiences to contribute to the academic community and, most importantly, to become a qualified instructor so that I give my students the absolute best. That is what they deserve. So to "anonymous:" thank you for making my day better and helping me remember the balance of priorities between teaching and research that, I'm sure, many of us struggle with. You are the reason I'm here in the first place.